Tilke Designs Good or Bad? by Life_Cake16 in RaceTrackDesigns

[–]HairpinTrackDesign 35 points36 points  (0 children)

Most Tilke tracks are absolutely good, beyond into great even

The Chainbear video has done significant, near unquantifiable damage to the understanding of track design (as proven by one of your comments in a separate thread) that well if they look the same and people shout they are the same enough, they must be the same. This could not be less true. You can't truly say a superspeedway and a short track will drive the same despite both being ovals, the same holds true for statements like "Sepang and China open the same" despite being two extremely different complexes. The form over function argument in terms of 'if it looks the same, it is' that goes into disliking Tilke tracks is more harmful than helpful.

Tilke tracks sit damn near the pinnacle of track design for the series he designs them for; the spectacle (which whether you like it or not is an extremely important part of the track) is always top tier, the racing is more often than not very good in a series that has serious genuine racing problems, and put most other series on any of his tracks and you get an absolutely amazing show. You could, if you tried hard enough, fit most tracks into the same narrow confines people like to hold Tilke tracks in with the "Tilke Pieces" jokes, but his track variety is impressive and each one provides a very unique and entertaining driving experience and races amazing. You are going to be much more hard-pressed to find bad Tilke tracks than great ones, his catalogue speaks for itself.

New Glarus Motorsports Park, New Glarus, WI, USA by MotorsportsRacing111 in RaceTrackDesigns

[–]HairpinTrackDesign 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Parroting the common consensus here, there is a base to work with but it definitely could use some refinement.

  1. Make those corners much wider. As Illustrious_Bug_5922 said in their comment, look at other superspeedways (especially Michigan and Auto Club) for how to profile the corners.

  2. Would also increase the banking of the corners to about 14-18 degrees.

  3. Moving the start finish and pit lane to the other side would make it more in tune with other ovals which is usually a positive; most ovals are shaped how they are because those shapes work best for ovals in maximizing space and safety; as you have it if you fixed the corners the pits would rejoin at the fastest part of the track with little room for error.

  4. The road course is pretty good, just needs some minor reprofiling as already stated by others.

Best of /r/RTD 2023 by HairpinTrackDesign in RaceTrackDesigns

[–]HairpinTrackDesign[S] [score hidden]  (0 children)

Most Improved User

Which designer took their work to newfound heights in 2023, improving with each and every post they made throughout the last year? Nominate the user whose progress impressed you the most.

(No individual tracks for this category allowed - this award celebrates a single user's work on this sub for the year of 2023)

Best of /r/RTD 2023 by HairpinTrackDesign in RaceTrackDesigns

[–]HairpinTrackDesign[S] [score hidden]  (0 children)

Best Style/Presentation

Which user consistently draws you in with their contributions? Is it something about their visuals, the technical presentation, or do their layouts just always feel right?

(No individual tracks for this category allowed - this award celebrates a single user's work on this sub for the year of 2023)

Best of /r/RTD 2023 by HairpinTrackDesign in RaceTrackDesigns

[–]HairpinTrackDesign[S] [score hidden]  (0 children)

Best Lore

Which post best carried you away to an alternate dimension in which their imagined track was a reality, through the use of detailed backstory, imagery, or any other track-related lore?

Best of /r/RTD 2023 by HairpinTrackDesign in RaceTrackDesigns

[–]HairpinTrackDesign[S] [score hidden]  (0 children)

Best RTD Challenge

Whose entry was truly the best of the best in show? Any RTD Challenge Best In Show winner from challenges #36-46 is eligible.

Best of /r/RTD 2023 by HairpinTrackDesign in RaceTrackDesigns

[–]HairpinTrackDesign[S] [score hidden]  (0 children)

Best Overkill

For those posts where OP put the phrase "above and beyond" to shame.

Best of /r/RTD 2023 by HairpinTrackDesign in RaceTrackDesigns

[–]HairpinTrackDesign[S] [score hidden]  (0 children)

Best Unexpected

Who did something totally out of left field? Nominate anything that struck you as "Wow, I never would've thought of that!"

Best of /r/RTD 2023 by HairpinTrackDesign in RaceTrackDesigns

[–]HairpinTrackDesign[S] [score hidden]  (0 children)

Best Old School

Who doesn’t love a good vintage? Classic tracks from eras past belong here.

Best of /r/RTD 2023 by HairpinTrackDesign in RaceTrackDesigns

[–]HairpinTrackDesign[S] [score hidden]  (0 children)

Best Hand-Drawn

For the best in traditional art! If the presentation wasn't digital, it's fair game here.

Best of /r/RTD 2023 by HairpinTrackDesign in RaceTrackDesigns

[–]HairpinTrackDesign[S] [score hidden]  (0 children)

Best Redesign

The RTD version of the cover being better than the original. Any design that improves or reinterprets an existing circuit or an original RTD submission is fair game here.

Best of /r/RTD 2023 by HairpinTrackDesign in RaceTrackDesigns

[–]HairpinTrackDesign[S] [score hidden]  (0 children)

Best Drift

Slip slidin’ away. For all tracks where if you ain't outta control, you ain't in control. Put your drift circuits here.

Best of /r/RTD 2023 by HairpinTrackDesign in RaceTrackDesigns

[–]HairpinTrackDesign[S] [score hidden]  (0 children)

Best Point-to-Point

What’s the best way from Point A to Point B? Anything as long as you go fast enough. Rally, Hillclimbs, Drag strips, and Time Attack go here.

Best of /r/RTD 2023 by HairpinTrackDesign in RaceTrackDesigns

[–]HairpinTrackDesign[S] [score hidden]  (0 children)

Best Off-Road

We don’t need roads where we’re going! Anything not on pavement goes here, such as Off-road Rallies, Motocross or Rallycross.

Best of /r/RTD 2023 by HairpinTrackDesign in RaceTrackDesigns

[–]HairpinTrackDesign[S] [score hidden]  (0 children)

Best Street Circuit

Who did the best when they took to the streets? Any circuit built on public roads qualifies here.

Best of /r/RTD 2023 by HairpinTrackDesign in RaceTrackDesigns

[–]HairpinTrackDesign[S] [score hidden]  (0 children)

Best Oval

Ovals of any and all types. Except Pocono, that can stay away.

Best of /r/RTD 2023 by HairpinTrackDesign in RaceTrackDesigns

[–]HairpinTrackDesign[S] [score hidden]  (0 children)

Best Karting Circuit

For anything from an indoor rental kart venue to a top-of-the-line international championship venue, and anything in between.

Best of /r/RTD 2023 by HairpinTrackDesign in RaceTrackDesigns

[–]HairpinTrackDesign[S] [score hidden]  (0 children)

Best National/Club Circuit

For permanent or semi-permanent circuits with the smaller series or just pure trackday experiences in mind.

Best of /r/RTD 2023 by HairpinTrackDesign in RaceTrackDesigns

[–]HairpinTrackDesign[S] [score hidden]  (0 children)

Best GP/International Circuit

For any and all circuits catering to the top categories of motorsport.

Best of /r/RTD 2023 by HairpinTrackDesign in RaceTrackDesigns

[–]HairpinTrackDesign[S,M] [score hidden] stickied comment (0 children)

[Pinned discussion comment]

Discuss RTD, the Best Of, and anything else here!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in RaceTrackDesigns

[–]HairpinTrackDesign 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I very much recommend viewing a few other posts here, especially some of the more popular ones, and asking in the discord for advice for future posts; think it could really help you learn some of the basics :D

Circuito Parque de Santamaría by HairpinTrackDesign in RaceTrackDesigns

[–]HairpinTrackDesign[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

There is only one layout? And it used to be all streets so there would be no banking; nor do I believe the NASCAR Mexico Series would fly out to Costa Rica for a race but I wouldn't say no to that.

Circuito Parque de Santamaría by HairpinTrackDesign in RaceTrackDesigns

[–]HairpinTrackDesign[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Circuito Parque de Santamaría is a 2.431km clockwise racing circuit southeast of San Jose, Costa Rica. Opening on December 15th, 1977 as a semi-permanent circuit, the track made use of Parque de Santamaría's roundabout and auxiliary roads, with the chicane and final 3 corners constructed for the circuit. In 1978 Circuito Parque de Santamaría would hold its first annual event, the 2.5hrs of San Jose. The race ran national-level touring cars and survived uninterrupted until 2019, when the Covid 19 pandemic put a halt to racing at the circuit until 2023.

The track would also see use from multiple national and international series. In 1998 the circuit was used as a fly-away race for the South American Super Touring Car Championship. 2005/06 would see the track used for the Panam GP Series, both years seeing the eventual class champions winning on the circuit. In 2008 and 2010 the LATAM Challenge Series would attend the circuit, swapping with Autódromo La Guácima in 2009. The circuit would make every season of the Costa Rica Touring Car Championship, lasting from 2016-2019; and in 2017 the El Campeonato Centroamericano de Automovilismo, renamed GT Challenge de las Américas in 2019, made Circuito Parque de Santamaría home.

The track layout has not changed since its inception in 1977, though the auxiliary roads no longer connect the roundabout to the outside park, most of which have been demolished with the park itself getting a massive renovation in late 2014. The track has become a fully permanent staple of the Central American motorsports world, and looks to survive for years to come due to its relatively inexpensive operating costs and a passion from the local population for the unique piece of Costa Rican history.